Candidates and rallies - through eyes of post-65ers

By Clarence Chang
May 2, 2006
The New Paper

HEAR FROM VIRGIN VOTERS: They have a mind of their own.

Young people aged 21 to 34 make up one-fifth of voters in this General Election.

To get their response to the ongoing campaigns, The New Paper invited comments from political science, history and economics students from the National University of Singapore.

All are in their early 20s, from working-class and middle-class families, and living in both HDB and private homes.

All are eligible to vote for the first time.

They say they want to debunk the stereotype that tertiary students are either politically apathetic or cynical.

Said Miss Divya Sangameshwar, 22, from Joo Chiat: 'Ours, after all, is the generation with no memory of (gaining) independence. Ours is the generation that slept through National Education classes. Yet ours is the generation that will redefine what it means to be Singaporean.'

Added Miss Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, 21, from Jurong GRC: 'To me, the future of Singapore lies in the ability to co-opt the ideas of the young and implement them. Only then can the new parliament be truly 'young' at heart.'